GAMES INDUSTRY WELCOMES CAMERON'S SPEECH ON COPYRIGHT THEFT

Thursday 5th July/...ELSPA, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, today welcomed comments from Conservative Party Leader David Cameron in which he recognised the scale and impact of copyright theft in the UK, its effect on business and the need for a more robust Intellectual Property (IP) framework.

Speaking at the BPI (The British Recorded Music Industry) Ltd Annual General Meeting in London 4th July, Cameron said that copyright theft in the UK operates on a massive scale and has a significant impact on future investment, on innovation and creativity. He also recognised that the monies from illegal copying go to fund organised crime and that much more needs to be done in education to help change perceptions and understanding of copyright theft.

Michael Rawlinson, Managing Director of ELSPA, said:“IP theft in the creative industries and in games costs billions of pounds every year. David Cameron’s comments to the BPI are welcome as we believe more needs to be done to protect creative industries.

“At ELSPA we already pour a great deal of resource into fighting piracy, but we can do a great deal more, particularly in educating people. We would welcome the chance to sit down with political stakeholders to ensure we have a longer term strategy of educating younger people about the impact of piracy and copyright theft.”

About Software Piracy and its negative impact on the public and industry.

ELSPA estimates criminal gain through computer and video games piracy sits at approximately£540 million per year

Consumers have no recourse under law for faulty pirated games, which can damage hardware.

Counterfeited/pirated games are often mixed with obscene or pornographic material.

Local and national jobs are lost as result of pirate operations.

Proven links exist between many organised counterfeiting organisations and dealers in drugs and pornography.

About ELSPA

ELSPA (The Entertainment&Leisure Software Publishers Association) was founded in 1989 to establish a specific and collective identity for the computer and video games industry. Membership includes almost all companies concerned with the publishing and distribution of interactive leisure software in the UK. ELSPA’s activities include: Official Chart and Industry Reports, the ELSPA Crime Unit, political lobbying, PR and communication, events. For more information please visit www.elspa.com

For further information on ELSPA or to arrange interviews, please contact:

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